[nos-bbs] status of MID/BID comparison

[Michael E Fox - N6MEF]

O.K.  I'm just trying to make sure I understand the prevailing school of thought.

In the case we saw locally, it appears that if JNOS consistently used UPPER case, then the problem would most likely have been avoided at the BPQ system.  That doesn't eliminate the problem, but it makes it less likely to occur.

I'll talk to the BPQ owner and let him know what I've heard.  Perhaps he can convince the BPQ developer to no use case sensitive comparisons (or perhaps make it a configurable option so sysops can turn it off if they're having problems).

Thanks all (and especially Maiko - as usual!)

Michael


> -----Original Message-----
> From: nos-bbs-bounces at tapr.org [mailto:nos-bbs-bounces at tapr.org] On Behalf
> Of Maiko Langelaar
> Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2015 9:36 AM
> To: TAPR xNOS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nos-bbs] status of MID/BID comparison
> 
> 
> > with one of our forwarding partners.
> 
> One as opposed to 10s of systems, 100s of systems ? Just something
> to think about ...
> 
> > -- One person said FBB makes a case-sensitive comparison.
> 
> The linux code for linfbb 7.0.7 would seem to suggest the comparison
> is indeed case sensitive (memcmp is used), but it was a quick check.
> 
> BUT, if you look at the wfbid.sys file, all I see is UPPERCASE BIDS,
> for what it's worth.
> 
> > -- But there is one case (reverse forwarding with ?mbox fbb 0?) where
> JNOS
> > will forward as lower case
> 
> That is (will be fixed), I'm pushing it to rsync shortly.
> 
> > -- Others have said that case-INsensitive is how it?s been and should
> > continue
> 
> I'm inclined to think that way due to the fact that there are many many
> legacy systems out there using the old defacto UPPER CASE methodology,
> and good luck getting them patched anytime soon. I'm not against the
> case sensitive argument (there may be good technical reasons for it,
> but it's not like there is a packet radio consortium out there 'now'
> that oversees all of this, all I see is a disjoint group of authors,
> which by the way includes myself, I'm just as much to blame), so at
> this stage I'm looking strictly from an operations point of view.
> 
> IF there are people on this list that have superb repoire's with the
> other authors of the various softwares we use, I have no problem in
> them getting us all together in a civilized manner, seriously !
> 
> > (In other words, a typical ham discussion).  :-(
> 
> Yup :)
> 
> > No one has come forward with a reason for case-sensitivity.  So for the
> > least disruption, it seems we should go with whatever is/has been the
> norm.
> > And that seems to be case-insensitive with a default of UPPERcase.
> 
> My mentors if you want to call them that will agree with you, and that is
> actually what my intention is FOR NOW, I'm open minded to stuff down the
> road but for now let's get it so that it's consistent (ie, there will be
> a patch pushed to rsync area 'shortly'.
> 
> > If that?s correct, then it seems the developers need a quick email
> > agreement on how to get to a single understanding.
> 
> That's why I am suggesting a person who has a good repoire with the
> other authors as well as with me. Just from past experience, I don't
> think I would be a good person to do that, just saying.
> 
> Maiko